School integration the big question for industry-led subjects

“We fully support industry-led subjects as a vital part of providing robust vocational pathways for young people.

“Announcing the subjects is far and away the simplest step. Crucially no-one knows how delivery of the industry-led subjects alongside new Ministry of Education led subjects will work at the school level and how enough teachers will be found for the new subjects."

Chris Abercrombie said there were very big questions around the integration of these subjects, given that the flexibility – which schools currently relied on for the running of trades academies, for example – would be removed when NCEA ended.

“Schools, whānau and industry need to know a lot more about how this will actually work. This is particularly important given that we are moving ever closer to the replacement of NCEA with the New Zealand Certificate of Education. The Foundation Year is planned to roll out in less than 18 months’ time.

“Ensuring equity in the system – to ensure that students have access to these subjects regardless of whether they live in Takapuna or Twizel - is an incredibly complex process. We would have liked to have seen more in the way of teacher training incentives for 2027 to really give the workforce the influx it needs before these subjects come in, in 2028.

“We want the Government to ensure that this reform is well planned and well implemented so that it can work in the very best way possible for young people and their whānau.”